Means for permitting the continuous unwinding of thread from twister spools in a creel



J. N. MIRE Sept. 28, 1965 MEANS FOR PERMITTING THE CONTINUOUS UNWINDINGOF THREAD FROM TWISTER SPOOLS IN A CREEL Filed June 13, 1963 2Sheets-Sheet 2- INVENTOR JUNIUS MIRE ATTORNEY United States Patent O MMEANS FOR PERMITI'ING THE `CONTINUOUS UNWINDING F THREAD FROM TWISTE'RSPOOLS IN A 'CREEL Junus Nickless Mire, Chalmette, La., assignor toChase Bag Company, a corporation of Delaware Filed June 13, 1963, Ser.No. 287,594 8 Claims. (Cl. 242-131) The present invention relates to ameans for permitting the continuous unwinding of thread from twisterspools in a creel.

Heretofore, it has been customary to provide only one spool on eachspindle in a creel rack. As it is diflicult to determine when a spoolwill empty, or that an attendant will always be immediately available toreplace the empty spool with a full one, this has resulted in waste ofmaterial, as well as down time of machine operation. The presentinvention eliminates the abovenamed disadvantages by providing meanswhereby a standby spool may be mounted in axial alignment with theregular spool so that, when the contents of the regular spool have beenexhausted, the thread, having previously been knotted to the thread ofthe standby spool, will continue to unwind from the standby spool and,at a convenient time, moved to the position previously occupied by theregular spool and a new standby placed in position. Various means foraccomplishing this purpose are shown and described herein.

It is, accordingly, an object of the invention to provide a novel meansfor permitting the continuous unwinding of thread from twister spools ina creel.

Another object is to provide novel devices for inter- -connecting a pairof spools whereby they may rotate at the same rate of speed.

Still another object is the provision of improved spools which aresimple, in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and yet effectiveand eicient in use.

A further object is to provide an improved drive dog.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a novel feeddog.

A further object of the invention is to provide an elongated auxiliarycreel spindle.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent as thespecification is considered with the accompanying drawings, whereinFIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating one form of theinvention in actual use;

FIGURE 2, is a View, similar to FIGURE l, illustrating the device ofFIGURE 1 at the moment the inner spool is becoming empty and with theouter spool moved outwardly to illustrate details of construction;

FIGURE 3 is an exploded fragmentary perspective view of a deviceembodying the present invention showing the manner in which one end of aspool is connected therewith;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary perspective View illustrating a drive dog anda feed dog forming parts of the invention;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective View of a hollow shaft and drive dog adaptedto be positioned upon the regular spindle of a creel;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of a drive dog which may be utilized uponan elongated spindle of a creel frame; and

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of a further modification of theinvention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein similar referencecharacters designate like parts throughout the several views, an uprightcreel frame 10 is provided with outwardly and upwardly extendingconventional spaced spindles 11. A conventional spool 12 is PatentedSept. 28, 1965 arranged on the uppermost spindle 11 and is formed with acentrally disposed bore 13. Diametrically opposed openings 14 areprovided in one end of the bore and communicate therewith. As best shownin FIG- URES 2 and 4, a feed dog 15 is suitably secured by adhesive orother securing means, not shown, to one end of spool 12. Acircumferential groove 16 is formed in the outer periphery of the feeddog, and the latter is also provided with arcuate grooves 17 in theouter face thereof.

A hollow, cylindrical, auxiliary spindle 18, substantially twice thelength of the lowermost conventional spindle 11, has centrally aixedthereon a drive dog consisting of a disc 19 from either side of whichprojects a pair of diametrically opposed ears 20. In this embodiment,the auxiliary spindle 18 will first have mounted thereon, at the innerhalf portion thereof, the spool A (see FIG. 1). Thus, the inner ears 20of the drive dog 19 may engage in the grooves 17 thereof, while thespool B is placed upon the outer half of the shaft 18 with the outerears 20 of the drive dog 19 engaging in the openings 14 thereof, afterwhich the shaftA 18 is placed over the conventional spindle 11.

The spools A and B are so wound that the beginning end of the yarnthereon is first wrapped about the feed dise 15, affixed to its spool.This permits the exposure of both ends of the yarn wound on the spoolrather than just the final end as is customary. When the spools A and Bhave been mounted in the manner hereinabove described, the beginning end21 of spool A is knotted, as indicated at 22, to the final end 23 ofspool B, as Shown in FIGURES 1 and 2. Thus, when the spool A has paidout all of its yarn, the beginning end 21 thereof, being attached to thefinal end 23 of the spool B will continue to unwind the yarn from thespool B.

In the modification illustrated in FIGURE 6, it is contemplated that, inlieu of the conventional spindle 11 on the creel frame, an elongatedspindle 11a may be provided when the creel is manufactured. In thisform, the drive dog 19 may be loosely mounted upon the shaft 11a betweentwo spools, such as A and B, the ears 20 thereof acting to interconnectthe same so that they may rotate at the same speed. The operation ofthis form of the invention is otherwise identical with that of thepreviously described embodiment.

Referring more particularly to FIGURE 7, a hollow shaft 24 is formedwith a knurled outer surface 25. In this modification, the feed dog 19is not required, since the two spools A and B may be caused to rotatetogether, in end to end relationship as shown in FIGURE 1, by frictionalcontact of the inner surfaces of the bores 13 with the knurled surface25, the operation otherwise being as above described.

While but certain forms of the invention has been shown and describedherein, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art thatmany minor modifications may be made without departing from the spiritof the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with the spindle of a creel frame adapted to holdspools of yarn thereon, means on said spindle for rotatably supporting aplurality of spools thereon, means on said spindle for interconnectingsaid spools, and means for interconnecting the yarns -of the spools,whereby the yarn may be paid out uninterruptedly and successively fromsaid spools.

2. In combination with the spindle of a creel frame adapted to hold asingle spool of yarn thereon, the provision of a hollow shaft rotatablyreceivable on said spindle, a drive dog aixed centrally on said shaft,and a spool of yarn mounted on said shaft on either side 3 of said drivedog and engageable with said dog, the beginning end of the yarn of oneof said spools being tied to the final end of the yarn of the otherspool.

3. In combination with the spindle of a creel frame adapted to hold aplurality of spools of yarn thereon, the provision of a plurality ofaxially and oppositely disposed drive dogs rotatably mounted on saidspindle, and a spool of yarn rotatably mounted on said spindle at eitherside of said drive dogs and engageable with said dogs, the beginning endof the yarn of one of said spools being tied to the final end of theyarn of the other spool.

4. In 4combination with the spindle of a creel frame adapted to hold asingle spool of yarn thereon, the provision of a hollow shaft ofsubstantially greater length than said spindle, said shaft beingrotatably mounted on said spindle, and a pair of spools of yarn mountedon each shaft in frictional engagement therewith, the beginning end ofthe yarn of one of said spools being tied to the nal end of the yarn ofthe other spool.

5. The invention as disclosed in claim 4 wherein said shaft is providedwith a knurled outer surface to provide said frictional engagement.

6. The invention as defined in claim 2 wherein said drive dog comprisesa cylindrical body having ears extending from each side thereof, andwherein said spools are provided at each of their ends with recesses forengaging said ears, whereby, when so engaged, rotation of one spool willcause identical rotation of the other.

7. The invention as dened in claim 3 wherein said drive dog comprises acylindrical body having ears extending from each side thereof, andwherein said spools are provided at each of their ends with recesses forengaging said ears, whereby when so engaged, rotation of one spool willcause identical rotation of the other.

8. The invention as defined in claim 2 wherein said spools are providedwith ear-receiving openings in one end thereof, and wherein a feed dogis aixed to the other end thereof, said feed dog comprising a circularbody having a continuous groove in its outer periphery and a pair ofarcuate ear-receiving grooves in the outer face thereof, and whereinsaid drive dog comprises a cylindrical body having ears extending fromeach side thereof for engaging the adjacent openings and grooves of saidspindles whereby, when so engaged rotation of one spool will causeidentical rotation of the other.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 729,095 5/03Rabbeth 242.46.21

FOREIGN PATENTS 571,045 2/ 59 Canada.

MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner.

1. IN COMBINATION WITH THE SPINDLE OF A CREEL FRAME ADAPTED TO HOLDSPOOLS OF YARN THEREON, MEANS ON SAID SPINDLE FOR ROTATABLY SUPPORTING APLURALITY OF SPOOLS THEREON, MEANS ON SAID SPINDLE FOR INTERCONNECTINGSAID SPOOLS, AND MEANS FOR INTERCONNECTING THE YARNS OF THE SPOOLS,WHEREBY THE YARN MAY BE PAID OUT UNINTERRUPTEDLY AND SUCCESSIVELY FROMSAID SPOOLS,